Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 11 - Chapter 3.2

  RIVAL

I spent most of my time at Master’s house during my first two years as a live-in apprentice because I didn’t have the physical endurance to go much further.

In the early months, Master would often take me to the hospital for checkups and Dr. Akashi would play Shogi with me. Some days, Dr. Akashi would come to see me at Master’s house, but those visits grew few and far between.

The air became much brighter in the house once Keika and I grew close, and we would all play Shogi with each other once she became my little sister apprentice after joining the Practice League.

Thinking back on it now, that was the most peaceful time at the Kiyotaki house.

The world the four of us had built was comforting …… and I thought it would never end.

Outsiders started barging into that world more and more once Yaichi became the Elementary Meijin when he was in the third grade.

That was almost three years after becoming an apprentice.

For Yaichi, who was planning to join the Sub League, becoming the Elementary Meijin would give him a distinct advantage. So I did what I could to train him.

Then he became the champion the first time he entered the tournament.

For me he was still the same wet-behind-the-ears little brother he had always been though. I had a chance to watch his matches from the semifinals onward because they were done at a TV studio in Tokyo, but he played at a higher level at home against me.

What truly shocked me was how the outside world viewed him after he won.

“There’s a Shogi wizkid in Osaka!”

“The future Meijin: Yaichi Kuzuryu.”

“The first eight-year-old Elementary Meijin in history! Training to become a professional in junior high!”

The TV news and the newspapers all talked about him just like that. And the school had a big ceremony for him. Until that point, he’d been referred to as an unlucky kid who was his older sister apprentice’s punching bag. However, the narrative transformed into: he was a prodigy all along, and everyone was jumping on the bandwagon.

But the one who changed the most …… was Yaichi himself.

Winning went to his head.

“Ginko! Ginko! I came up with how I’m going to write my autograph, so I’ll give you the first one!”

“Why? I don’t want it.”

“Are you suuure? I won’t give you one when it’s worth a lot of money.”

Want your head on a pike?

The incident that really got under my skin happened right before his Sub League Entrance Exam …… on a hot summer day just before summer vacation started.

Seeing me come to the Player’s Room directly from school, Hiuma–––Kagamizu 3-dan looked at me with surprise.

“Whoa. What’s that potted plant you have there, Ginko?”

“A morning glory.”

“You grew it at school? Oh, that’s right. Today was the closing ceremony …… I’ve been in the Sub League for so long that my sense of seasons is starting to slip.”

I set down the morning glory that had grown longer than I was tall in the corner along with my backpack and started playing 10-second Shogi with Mr. Kagamizu right away.

I tended to miss a lot of days, but I enjoyed going to elementary school when I was there.

Yaichi and I went to the same one, so we would hold hands on the way there and play Shogi during recess. Plenty of rumors spread once other kids found out we lived together despite having different last names, but I couldn’t have cared less.

But we went home at different times, so it became my routine to come to the Player’s Room at the association on my own and play 10-second Shogi against the Sub League members.

Once Yaichi and Keika arrived, the three of us would go down to the classroom to play Shogi before going home together.

That particular day was just like that …… or at least it should have been.

“…………… He’s late.”

The whole school had early dismissal because of the semester-ending ceremony, but Yaichi still hadn’t shown up at the association.

“Maybe he’s downstairs playing against somebody in the classroom? Think about it, he’s famous now that he’s the Elementary Meijin. Someone came from far away to play against him just the other day …… And he said something about friends coming over during summer vacation.”

“…… That’s news to me.”

“Hm?! I-I see …… Maybe he wanted to surprise you?”

Mr. Kagamizu’s half-hearted attempt to distract me was suspicious, so I put the pieces away and went down to the second floor.

Looking around the classroom …… I found him.

An idiot sitting between a redhead and a black-haired girl with a dumb smile on his face.

“Heh! Just as good as I thought you were …… That defense you got there is pretty screwy, like usual! What kind of training makes you come up with those weird moves that actually work?”

Red had her arm wrapped around Yaichi’s shoulder, goofing around like boys usually do.

Red talked like a boy and had a chest to match, but I could tell she was a girl. Upon closer inspection, she was blushing. Her red hair made her stand out, sure, but her cheeks and the nape of her neck were nearly the same shade. Seriously, what the heck? Focus on Shogi.

The other girl was being even more brazen.

“Ahh, Yaichi, your Shogi is such a marvel to behold♡ I just love watching your Shogi, Yaichi♡♡♡”

Black was making far more contact with Yaichi than necessary as she spoke. If you’re playing Shogi, all you need to touch is the pieces, not the people around you. It was beyond me. Impure. Unsanitary. Unpleasant.

Yaichi must not have been used to being sandwiched between two girls talking him up and suddenly got out of his chair.

“I-I’m …… gonna hit the john!”

What a chicken. If you’re going to lose your nerve, don’t bother flirting with girls in the first place.

What’s worse, he called the restroom a john. Trying out a bad-boy persona ……?

I tracked him down outside the classroom to get answers.

“Yaichi.”

“Ah, Ginko. When did you get here?”

“Those two. Who are they?”

“J-Just friends I made in Tokyo during the Elementary Meijin Tournament ……”

“I thought you went there to play serious matches, but you were picking up girls? Do I have to impale your head?”

“It’s not like that! The girl with black hair is Machi Kugui from Kyoto and the one with red hair is Ryou Tsukiyomizaka. He …… no, she came all the way down from Tokyo today. School up there finished yesterday, so Ryou is staying at Machi’s and they’re going to play at classrooms all over Kansai. They invited me to join them, but–––.”

“Going out with girls right before your Sub League Entrance Exam? You sure are confident.”

“W-We’re not going out! They came this far just to play against me and …… They’re both very strong, so it’s good practice! Why don’t you try playing against them?”

“Huh? Why would I?”

I immediately rejected the idea.

“More importantly, do you have time to be playing around with girls?”

“I didn’t think Ryou was a girl, okay ……? She had jeans on last time ……”

“…………”

Yaichi… muttering excuse after excuse. It was quite a shock to me.

–––Yaichi was never a back talking little brother before ……

It seemed like those two wenches tricked him into thinking he’s a bad boy. It was my job as his older sister to set him straight. Now, how to do it?

I devised a plan.

“I almost forgot, Keika said she wanted to talk with you. It sounded like something important. She might want to ask you out ……”

“Huh?! For real?!”

“I’ll let those two know, so why don’t you go home before you miss your chance?”

“I will! Thanks, Ginko!”

The idiot left.

I took Yaichi’s place in the classroom and set the plan in motion.

“Hey. Want to play Shogi?”

Sitting across from Red and Black, I made my demands loud and clear.

“Never come here again if I win.”

“Aghhh?”

Rudely sitting on the table, Red looked over her shoulder, glared at me and said to Black, “Get a load of her, Machi. What’s small fry’s problem? And what’s with that hair? A wig? Some kinda cosplay?”

“Ginko Sora …… are you not?”

Black seemed to know who I was, and I watched her eyes become serious as she grinned ever so slightly.

Red looked back and forth between us a few times and asked, “You know her?”

“Only witnessed her several times in classrooms around Kansai, this one included. We have never played, though I do not know if that was fortunate or not …… By the by, she also happens to be Kiyotaki-sensei’s live-in apprentice, the elder sister apprentice of Yaichi.”

“Hmph. But she’s a puny runt.” Peering down at me as threateningly as possible, Red said, “You. What year are you? Still in kindy?”

“First grade.”

“Pwfff! First grade? But you’re Yaichi’s older sister apprentice? Ghahahahahahaha! That’s hilarious! The guy is full of surprises!”

Red laughs with her mouth wide open, calling him the guy and Yaichi as if they’d known each other forever. She was almost acting like they were a special item.

That angered me beyond words.

–––I’ll end her.

My mind was set. That was the moment Ryuo Tsukiyomizaka was carved into my Beyond Forgiveness List and she’s still there. Probably will be until one of us dies. On a side note, the first name on that list was Kousuke Kiyotaki, and still is.

“Word has it this poor girl suffers from a weak constitution,” said Black with pity in her eyes.

Completely unaware she had violated the taboo.

“Her tournament appearances are few and far between, and even the ones where she became champion, she ultimately handed the advancement ticket to the player she defeated in the finals. Standard procedure for her, as I understand.”

“So that’s why I’ve never heard of her. Meh ……”

“Rumors say that she plays with the boys upstairs without accepting handicaps.”

“That’s not a rumor. It’s true,” I told her, since there was no reason to deny it.

“Hah! I don’t know if you’re trying to pull something or to get me to feel sorry for you, but that ain’t gonna work on me.”

Red snorts through her nose.

“Getting to play here in Kansai is my big chance. I want to find opponents who’ll give me a challenge, got it? I’m not gonna play patty-cake with some first grader.”

“There is …… one other rumor.”

“Oh? And what would that be, Machi?”

“Are you familiar with g@yb?”

“Isn’t that ……?!”

“An account name from the Shogi Club 24 competitive scene, one well known for speed and strength. With inhuman reflexes and early-game skill worthy of professionals, that account has toppled highly decorated amateurs and Sub League members alike …… There are many who claim it belongs to a certain Meijin, but their typing style in chat, their habit of logging out as soon as the match ends and only playing during daylight hours has led many to believe the account could belong to a child.”

“So, you’re saying …… it’s hers?”

Red’s expression shifts to one I hadn’t seen thus far, something resembling a demon.

“…… But … can you prove it?”

“The keyboard input style. Should the board be switched to kana mode, what do you think the keys g, @, y, and b would spell out?”

Red sat silently as she tried to figure it out, but Black gave the answer first.

“Ginko … as it were.”

“……………………”

More silence.

Then Red pulled out a chair, got off the table and properly sat down to face me.

“Fine by me. Who plays first?”

“You’re both weaker than Yaichi, correct?”

I reached out wide to grab the two nearest piece boxes and flipped them over onto the boards.

Pinching both Kings between my fingers, I said, “I’ll play you both at the same time. I’ll even let you play me without a handicap.”

“………… You thinkin’ you can do an instructional match with me and Machi at the same time ……? We placed at the Elementary Meijin Tournament, you know ……! A runt like you thinkin’ she can school a girl headed through the Practice League on her way to becoming a Women’s League player like me ……?”

“Yes. Oh, and you can have the first move, too.”

“Listen, brat. Keep this up …… and you’re gonna get crushed.”

Red flashed her jagged teeth and I said, “I’ll put your head on a pike.”

Our battle began.

On my right was Ryou Tsukiyomizaka, breathing fire as her offensive barreled toward me.

On my left was Machi Kugui, meticulously building up her formation against an opponent four years her junior.

–––Black will be a pain. In which case ……

The trick to playing multiple matches at once is, though counterintuitive, not to play multiple matches at once.

Basically, take down one opponent at a time.

Trying to do both at the same time will make your readings shallow no matter what, and you are bound to overlook the simplest things when you’re trying to keep track of more than one board.

Which is why I went for a strategy called Yagura 9 One formation, which requires a long sequence to set up against Black’s defensive opening.

If it’s just following the standard sequence, I could do it with my eyes closed. A change could happen along the way, but I planned on buying time until that happened.

That allowed me to focus on Red, against whom I used the high-speed Shogi I’d been practicing on the third floor just a little bit ago.

“Hah! Making no-time moves against the great Ryou Tsukiyomizaka? You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that!!”

Just as I thought, a simple taunt was enough to get her to play just as fast.

But, compared to the 10-second Shogi I was used to playing against Sub League members, an elementary schooler’s quick attack was full of holes.

I shut down her offensive before it got to me and forced her onto defense. Piece of cake.

“That’s one down.”

“Brat ……!! H-How could a brat …… stop my attack … mine ……?!” said Red in disbelief as she stared at the board with her eyes wide. “I …… I went easy on you ’cuz you’re a puny brat! I’m gonna be in the Women’s League in no time, so why would I even try against an amateur girl like you?! Th-That wasn’t even half of what I can do, and I don’t care about that stupid trash or this crummy shack called the Kansai Association! You couldn’t pay me to come back here, so don’t even try, stupid moron!”

Red messes up the board, swiping away the formations with snot and tears pouring off her face. After slamming a piece she had in her hand down onto the board for good measure, Red then stormed out of the classroom. I won.

“…… Good grief. Is she intending to forfeit future matches that happen to be scheduled in Kansai?”

Black grins to herself as she watches Red go out the door.

I had no intention of forcing her to keep that promise.

Hurt them bad enough, and even wild dogs will be too scared to come back for a while. I just did the same thing.

“Now it’s your turn. Just as you wanted, I’ll use my full strength to crush you.”

I shifted my chair over a little bit to face Black from directly across the board.

“Double yagura only happens when both players want it to happen. I know you wanted to face me one-on-one.”

“9 One formation favors the offense. I had no reason to refuse.”

From her voice, expression and playing style, it was impossible to tell what she was really thinking.

There was a bewitching timbre to her voice …… So, I ignored everything but the sensation in my fingertips once the battle got underway.

Yet, just before I could, Black pried her way into my head.

“May I make a request before the battle begins in earnest?”

“…… What?”

“As my practice groups convene here at the Kansai Association, I cannot jeopardize my ability to come and go as necessary. Therefore, I would like for you to amend the penalty should I lose our match.”

“No. Too late.”

“Please, I beg of you. Oh, yes! If an acceptable substitute does not come to mind, you may decide once the match is over.”

It was as if she were allowing me to play rock-paper-scissors on a delay.

I liked that condition. That was the trap.

“…………… In that case …”

“Then it’s settled. Now–––.”

The snap of a piece that bordered on an explosion was our opening bell.

Rather than finish the Yagura 9 One formation standard sequence, Black added a bizarre twist at the very end.

“?! Why change there ……?!”

Black was absolutely right about the established theory of offense having an advantage in the 9 One formation. That theory would later be overturned by software, but …… humanity didn’t know that yet.

Startled, I made a mistake on my next move.

–––Rats! I got distracted coming up with the new punishment after I won and messed up ……

No one can win a match if they’re thinking about what will happen when it’s over.

No matter how much I cursed my naivety, it was too late now.

“Te-he-he.”

Displaying the competitive skill of being able to throw off an opponent by simply playing a move that she herself didn’t know was good or bad, Black strung together a series of extremely strong moves.

–––Heavy ……!

Machi Kugui’s piece snaps were high-pitched and very deliberate.

There was a great deal of intention behind every single move she made.

Fighting spirit. Intimidating aura.

No …… There was more to it than that.

This was devotion.

Tenacity. Begrudging. Passionate. Behind her aloofness, there was a terrifying unknown to Machi Kugui’s Shogi. It was the first time I had ever been truly frightened of an opponent.

And this was the day I learned fear could interfere with fingertips.

–––I couldn’t reach for the pieces! Why ……?!

It was as if the fear was slowly taking hold of my neck, strangling me little by little. I glanced up at her …… Black was glaring down at me as she whispered, “Your torment is at hand.”

As if her sleek black hair were closing in on me from all directions, Machi Kugui slowly but surely cornered my King.

–––Play normally and I’ll be overpowered …… 

In that case …!!

I stopped playing by the rules.

Unleashing the off-the-board tactics that I had kept sealed away, I used eye contact and piece snaps to make Black see ghosts.

I timed the piece snaps to interfere with her breathing, making her brain work twice as hard on less oxygen. It’s a technique that even makes 3-dan ranking members of the Sub League panic.

“Kg-ahh ……! Ha …… Haahaa! C-Can’t bre- ……?!” 

Black … gasping for breath.

Meanwhile, I was setting a trap for her on the board. A one-move, instantaneous kill trap.

–––Drop dead!! I mentally screamed with all my might as I placed a major piece in a spot where it could be taken for free.

She takes it, she dies.

If she doesn’t take it, then she’ll win.

So long as she doesn’t trust my ability, she’ll take it. At that point, it was more a game of wits than a Shogi match. I’d gotten a good idea about her personality through our match thus far and from her way of speaking, so I primed my trap.

And Black fell right into it.

Realizing what she had done with the piece still pinched between her fingers above the board, Black began to tremble to the point where I thought she would drop it.

“!! …………… Haaaa––––––––……”

She leaned back, taking a deep breath as she stared at the ceiling. Then, after only hearing my next move, she bowed so low that her forehead almost hit the board and she surrendered.

“Unfortunately, I have no moves remaining.”

…… Even thinking back on it now, I’ve always felt threatened by her. I hate her, too.

From a rich family, friendly, highly intelligent, has a way with words, highly cultured, large bust, loved by everyone …… Extremely endowed bust. As far as I’m concerned, all large-breasted women except for Keika can just drop dead …… Die …… Go extinct ……

“You are remarkably strong, Ginko! O-Ryou and I could match up against you for a lifetime and never hold our own. Why, you may be even stronger than the Tsubasa Gakumeki who is already in the Sub League.”

Her black hair was now stuck to her forehead with sweat. Machi Kugui pulled it back behind her ear with her left hand and smiled once again.

Complimenting an opponent after being defeated by a one-move instant kill trap … I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Aren’t …… you sad?”

“I dream of one day becoming a journalist! Please, allow me to cover your exploits, Ginko♪”

“Journalist ……?”

It was bizarre for someone who joined the Practice League and trained as hard as they could to even think of becoming something other than a Shogi player.

“What about you, Ginko? If you never become part of the Practice League or the Sub League, what would you do with your future?”

“Me?”

I was blindsided.

What would I become?

I thought things would always stay the way they were. I wanted it that way.

“I ………… want to become strong.”

That was the answer I came up with.

“Gender has nothing to do with it. I never want to lose to anyone, older or younger than me. Since Yaichi is the Elementary Meijin and he’s weaker than me, that makes me the strongest elementary school student in the world.”

“I wonder. For I know of at least one elementary school student stronger than yourself, Ginko.”

“Who?”

“Yaichi Kuzuryu.”

“Huh? Weren’t you listening? I just told you that I’m stronger than–––.”

“In the early game, yes. However, as far as the mid- and late-game are concerned, Yaichi is far stronger.”

“……!”

I felt guilty about resorting to the off-the-board tactics I’d sworn off, but what Black said made it impossible for me to mount a logical counterargument.

“I am a type of player similar to yourself, Ginko, so I understand all too well. Filling your mind with early-game knowledge is akin to starting a 100-meter dash from the 50-meter mark. You may win, but you won’t grow stronger that way.”

“…………”

“On the other hand, Yaichi begins 50 meters behind the starting line and has a unique stride. His growth borders on diabolical. In an era dominated by Yagura 9 One formations, he may be unable to tap his full potential. However, should a new Shogi era dawn, a generational prodigy like Yaichi will surely be the one to set it in motion. Seeing that with my own eyes, following every step Yaichi’s Shogi takes is my–––.”

“…… Hey.”

“Hm? What is it?”

I got this unpleasant girl’s attention as she blabbered away as if she were enjoying the sound of her own voice and made my declaration. I issued her punishment.

“Never call him Yaichi again.”